I took a few long distance photos of this Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA because of the fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains in the background.
Adult Red-tailed Hawk in front of the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
The pops of red in the still shadowed mountainside are Gambel Oaks, which during autumn can be breathtaking. I know that the oaks please my eyes. Having the adult Red-tailed Hawk in front of the mountains with those pops of red was even more visually appealing to me.
The Red-tailed Hawk is small in the frame, and I like it that way because it shows more of the habitat where I found this raptor. The cottonwood the hawk is perched on was alive when I first moved to Utah in 2009. It isn’t leafless now because of the season; it began to die a few years ago. The tree still stands and provides a perch for this hawk, other raptors, Bald Eagles, and many other birds.
This Red-tailed Hawk photo might not appeal to other people like it does to me; and that is perfectly fine. My photos are for my own enjoyment. I don’t take them for ego strokes, for likes on Facebook, or to gain anyone’s approval.
I take photos because I love my time connecting with nature and because nature is real. This hawk is as real as the mountains behind her or him and the tree they are perched upon.
This photo of the Red-tailed Hawk isn’t perfect; it’s wonderfully imperfect.
That is more than good enough for me, both today and in the years to come when I look at this picture again.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.
The balance you achieved in this pic is truly outstanding. Your narrative is great and the RTH in this shot could not be more perfectly placed. Thanks Mia.
Simply gorgeous – though I mourn the death of the tree. As I always do.
Love the starkness of this photo, it shows the solitary essence of the Red-tailed Hawk!
Thank you for always sharing the true moments in nature. There is no ego in nature so your perspective is as close as one can get to those truths!
Very nice photo of the hawk n its environment. Coincidentally, my blog today is entitled “Picture Imperfect,” quite agreeing with your sentiments. Sometimes photographers get too hung up with pixels and do not credit the aesthetics of an image.